Regulatable bellows mechanism of refrigeration systems



Oct. 6, 1931. P. FARMER 1,826,307

REGULATABLE BELLOWS MECHANISM OF REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 28, 1929 yaw;

A TTORNEYS f mittedly old, and with whose details this app fi opening K permits the passage of the i 145 parts of the mechanism thereto. the slip fit and of the threads of the cap may 90 Patented 6, 1931 j i I UNI-TESD STATES. PATENTOFFICEL L I g j I PATT SON FARMER, 0F nErRoIT, MICHIGAN";

nsULATA L IBELLoWs MEonAnIs or REFRIGERATION sYs'rEMs i I Application filed August 28, 1929. Serial No. 388,905. i

.This invention .relates ,to a scaling and Figure 3 is an end View of the mechanism travel control regulatingmeans for use in partly in section through the line3,3 o,f the chamber appurtenant the controlling bel- Figure 1. i 5 lows in an artificial refrigeration system, and Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevahas for its object an improved organization tional view of a slightly modified. form of of parts adapted to efiectively seal from acshell closure cap and connected parts'from cess of the outside atmosphere those parts theshowing of the corresponding part at the of the interior ofthe shell within which the right-hand end of Figure 1. 1-, 11i b ll i itio d, Figure 5 's a view ofa corrugated disc To adegree, effectiveness of the shell clodiaphragm, which may under some circumsure against the entrance of, atmospheric stances be used alternatively for [and in moisture may be attained by properly tightplace of the supplemental bellows diaphragm ened gasket joints, or by daubing of, the illustrated. l threadings and the slip fit in the terminalcap At A on the left-hand side of Figure 1 5 with heavy grease, but in case ofieven a sllght 1s shown fragmentarily the end of a needlemovement of one part, as of the cap, relavalve-actuat1ng arm, variant types of which I tively to the bellows-enclosing chamber it are now quite familiar, for the control of the has been my experience that while the exrefrigerant flow through-a part of the mechclusion of atmospheric moisture may seem to amsm of av refrigerating system The end or go be effectively attained thus for atime, sooner this needle-valve-actuating arm engages or later a leaking or seepage, of atmospheric agalh t t e, end of, or'in a recess or indentaunoisture occurs inappara'tus thus assembled, P1 11111, he )Vallof the diaphragm .B, which which is highly destructive of its efliciency. 1s housed within the shell 0, and against the To the correction ofthis, and as well, to the -p ragm B extends the valve pin D,'the

25 effecting of definite adjustability of the posh r nd f .whl huis enclosed within the 5 sible expansion and contraction of the bel ro -se lon lly Shaped shell E. i The lows, I have devised the improved organizaligh -hand end of this latter, as viewed in tion of parts formingthe subject of this inlgllre l, broadens out into the housing F, 'vention, which deals only with the solution jeIhlClosul'e i the C ntrolling bellows G,

' b of this problem of sealing, though for clea against/whose ad acent end the right-hand ness of illustration of its place and function, end f e Valve p111 engages. The end of relativelyto other parts of the refrigeration the hOUSlng 18 ad ustably Closed by the System as a h l I hav f course 111 engagement 'thereover of the centrally apertrated other adjacent parts, which are adtllled ap .H, through the center of which a plication is not concerned. tube J, which opens into the interior of the In the, drawings: diaphragm bellows G: Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view, The Weak Point of h p y kll'OWn showing my improved construction in posisystem, as regards both adjustability Of the 40 tionrelatively to the bellows shell and the pand as regards the slip fit thereof with're- 35 connected parts. spect to the tube J which carries the active Figure 2 is a perspective of my im rov d thermostatic element into the interior of'the construction with part of the shell broken controlling bellows G, is the fact that though away to show the relation of the contained for a time adequate doping or smearing of adequately serve to protect the interior of the shell F and its connected parts from the access of atmospheric moisture, sooner or later this sealing, eliective though it may be at the outset, becomes impaired to a degree that admits moisture to the interior of the shell F and its connected parts, thus forming a freezing coating upon the outside convolutions of the bellows diaphragm G, upon the exterior of the valve pin D, and proceeding further, upon the internal convolutions of the bellows diaphragm B, thus deleteriously affecting the accuracy, and indeed the freedom, of movement of these parts.

To obviate this objection, I propose to isolate them from possible access of atmospheric dampness, while permitting the desired degree of adjustability of the cap H relatively to the shell F and to the controlling bellows G, and my preferred form of effecting this comprises a supplemental or protective diaphragm M, one terminal edge 01" which is soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the opposite end of the diaphragm bellows G from that which engages the end of the valve pin D. The opposite end of this supplemental bellows M is carried over and hermetically sealed against the end of the shell F, thus shutting oii' any possible communication between the space N in the interior of the shell F, which surrounds the bellows diaphragm G, and the space S which is bounded by the adjacent end of the diaphragm G, the wall of the supplmental bellows M, and the inner face of the cap H.

This cap H is provided with a slip [it which permits the passage therethrough of the tube J, which opens into the interior of the diaphragm bellows G, and which outwardly extends to a suitable storage chamber T. The cap H has a rather deep margin al skirting H which threadedly engages the correspondingly threaded portion of the end of the shell F so that an adequate degree of adjustability of the former relatively to t 116 latter may be had without danger of its structural detachment therefrom. From the center of the cap H a tube or chimney P extends inwardly, surrounding the slip lit J and the pipe K so as to adjustably engage against the adjacent end of the bellows diaphragm G, thus restricting its possible ere pansive movement in that direction.

Since the back-and-forth movement of the valve pin D, in the direction and to the degree called for by the conditions prevailing withtion of this part of the mechanism, it will be in the system at any time, is the basic funcobvious that the accurate eliectuation or this must depend upon the proper cooperative movement of the diaphragm B against one end and of the controlling diaphragm bellows G upon the other end of the valve stem D. The expansive action of the bellows diaphragm G, due to its interior being a part of the space wherein the active thermostatic element is confined, of course eflccts the movement oi the valve stem to the left, and its contractive movement permits the valve stem to be forced to the right by the action of the diaphragm B, due to the action against it of the needle-valve-actuating arm A, or some equivalently functioning member or force, or a combination of them. All of this expansive and contractive movement and the resultant movement of the valve stem D takes place, however, within the space N or its connected and communicating spaces about the Valve pin D, or within the chamber to the right of the diaphragm B, Without possibility of access of atmospheric dampness, such oi which as may enter through the slip lit K or through the threadings appurtenant the skirting of the cap H, merely finding its way harmlessly within the space S enclosed within the supplemental diaphragm M, into which the chimney or tube P fixedly, though adjustably, projects, thus limitin the possible degree of movement of the ad j acent end of the diaphragm bellows G according to the selected adjustment of the cap H.

As an alternative to the described thrcading of? the marginal skirting of the end closure cap H for eltecting the desired positioning of the tubular stop P relatively to the end of the diaphragm bellows G, I have shown in Figure 4 a modified construction 01" this part, wherein the threaded engagement of the end of the shell or housing F by the cap H is imn'iaterial except for assemblage or structural purposes, the chimney or tube 1" here shown being externally threaded and the bore in the cap I-I through which it passes being similarly threaded so that by retraction or projection of this relatively to the cap, the shell and the diaphragm end the desired position of its end as a stop for the adjacent end of the bellows diaphragm G to strike against may be attained.

It should also be understood, as within the scope of this disclosure that in place of the quite elongatable supplemental bellows M, the outer end or edge of which is shown in Figure 1 as sealingly carried over the edge or end of the housing F, I may use some such alternative as the corrugated disc diaphragm .V, which I have illustrated in Figure 5, the outer edge of which, instead of? being carried over the end of the shell or housing F, is sealingly set into the wall thereof at a point almost if not quite in the same transverse plane as the end wall of the diaphragm bellows G to which its other edge is soldered.

hat I claim is:

1. In a refrigeration system, in combination with a housing having a valve pin adapted to slide through one end thereof, a bellows diaphragm positioned in the housing and having a tubular connection extending from the housing to an externally located contain- I er for the active thermostatic element, a cap adjustably positioned upon that end of said housing through which said tubular connection ext-ends, said cap having a slip fit over said tubular connection and an interiorly projecting portion adapted to engage against the adjacent end of said bellows diaphragm according to the adjusted position of the cap with respect to said housing, and means for sealingly isolating that portion of the interior of said housing occupied by said bellows diaphragm from the remaining portion thereof, comprising a bellows member sealingly connected at one end with the adjacent end of said bellows diaphragm and at the other end with the wall of the housing.

2. In a refrigeration system, in combination with a valve pin adapted to be actuated in one direction by and according to the variant pressure conditions prevailing in a relatively remote part of the system, an active thermostatic element comprising a housing into an end of which one end of said valve pin movably projects, abellows diaphragm located within said housing and a connected externally located supply container, a 'supplementary bellows element sealingly connected at one of its terminal edges with the other side of said bellows diaphragm from that engaged by'said valve pin and at the other of its terminaledges with the wall of 7 said housing, and a cap'operatively and ad justably connected with the initially open end of the housing, said caphaving a slip fit engagement over the connection between the bellows diaphragm and the external supply container and being provided with an in wardly projecting portion adapted to engage against the adjacent end of the bellows diaphragm to limit the thermostatically induced expansion thereof in the direction of the cap.

3. In a refrigeration system, a housing adapted for connection with piping of the system, a temperature responsive member and a bellows diaphragm memberthe latter located in said housing and adapted to expand and contract inresponse to external thermal variations, a centrally apertured cap closing one end of said housing and through which the recited connection with said bellows diaphragm member passes, said cap having an inwardly extending projection adapted to adjustably engage against the adjacent end of said bellows diaphragm to limit the expansive movement thereof toward said cap, and a protective bellows member connected .at one end with said bellows diaphragm and at the other end with the wall of said housing, whereby that'portion of'the interior of the housing wherein said bellows diaphragm is located is sealed against access ofatmospheric dampness regardless of the adjusted position, of the cap relatively thereto and to the shell of said housing.

4. The combination, with a terminally apertured shell constituting a connected unit of a refrigeration system, of a pair: of terminally engagingbellows members located therewithin, one being adapted to be expandvingly and contractingly acted upon by trans- .mitted thermal'variations from another part of the system communicated thereto through one of said aperturesin the shell, and the other of .saidbellows members serving, cooperatively with that end wall of'the shell surrounding the outletaperturettherein and to which the otherwise open end of said bellows is sealingly connected, in isolating the space thus enclosed from communication with the remainder of the space within the shell, and means located adjacent the otherwise open end of said last-named bellows member and adapted to act against a cross wall portion of said first-namedbellows mem ber whereby possible expansive movement of the latter toward said means in response to transmitted thermal variations may be adjustably regulated.

5. In a refrigeration system, means for effecting a regulatable variance in the degree of potential response of a bellows mechanism to transmitted variations in temperat-ure, comprising, in combination therewith and witha terminally apertured enclosing shell, a second bellows member sealingly connected with one end of said first-named bellows member and with the wall of said shell adjacent the outlet aperture therein, whereby communication between the space thus enclosed and the remaining portion of i the interior of the shell is precluded, and adjustable end closing means for the shell adapted to be engaged by the adjacent end of the first-named bellows member whereby the degree and direction of potential response by the latter to transmitted thermal. variations communicated to it from the other points in the system is made regulatable.

6. The combination, in a refrigeration system, of an integrated shell member operatively connected therewith, a bellows member located within said shell member in position of potential elongative and compressive response to transmitted thermal variations,

means for isolating the remainder of the interior of said shell from thatportion thereof immediately surrounding said bellows member, comprising a second bellows member terminally engaging the adjacent end of the first-named bellows member, and approadjacent Wall portion whereof one endof one of said bellows members is connected, thereby isolating the space thus enclosed from the remainder of the interior portion of said shell, and means operable against the end of the bellows member first above mentioned whereby the degree of possible response by it to transmitted thermal Variations from a point exterior of said shell may be regulatably varied.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

PATTERSON FARMER. 

